The present invention relates generally to terminating machines and more specifically to applicators for crimping terminals onto electrical conductors.
Numerous schemes and equipments for mechanically crimping terminals to conductors are known in the prior art. Typical of such schemes are individual applicator units as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,184,950 and 3,191,411. Such applicator units are an integral structure including a connector feeding device and a reciprocable ram for moving one or more punches or one or more dies to effect the crimping of the terminal to the conductor. Such integral units are used in conjunction with general purpose bench presses and, when it is desired to change from the crimping of one type terminal to the crimping of a different type terminal, the entire applicator unit must be removed from the bench press and another suitable applicator unit substituted therefor.
Numerous terminal feeding schemes are also known employing air cylinders, mechanical linkages or spring feeding coupled with a mechanical linkage to retract the feeding device when the ram moves toward the anvil thus compressing the spring for the next terminal advance. Such feeding schemes are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,030,694; 3,191,411 and 3,359,780.
The dies for crimping the terminal have also sometimes been deployed in bench presses in a removable manner as illustrated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,091,276 and 3,398,567; however, such structures do not readily allow quick replacement of the elements.